DWP TREFOREST
A new operational hub for more than 1,600 Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) staff in South Wales has been officially opened.
The 133,000 sq ft Ty Taf office scheme at Nantgarw was opened by Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Therese Coffey, as part of her first visit to Wales since the pandemic.
The project has brought staff at DWP offices in Cardiff, Newport, Cwmbran, Merthyr and Caerphilly under one roof and will house 1600 by march 2023.
THE BUILDING, designed by AHR, houses a new hybrid working model to create a more efficient space for staff while also providing collaborative work settings.
Steer Design was the Interior Designer for the new DWP hub; working as sub consultant to AHR. The new hub needed to be able to support 1600 staff coming from different buildings and locations, the design delivers the ability to work in small or large groups, to ad hoc or book desks, and numerous agile work settings allow for a change in seating, environment, acoustics and connectivity.
The spaces are large but with layered materials and fittings applied Steer Design created interchangable ‘bubbles’ of space. AHR also allowed for social spaces to be at the greatest views with the ability to be a buzzing environment so that colleagues feel at home and not a disturbance.
Support spaces include social, meeting, training, collaborative and scum areas.